The showcase event, to be held on September 13th, will feature keynote speakers and panelists from top Hollywood studios such as Sony, Warner Bros and HBO, as well as Bloomberg Television, and some of the top technology companies involved in the entertainment sector, including Gamestop Ventures and Logitech.

The event’s main sponsor will be Invest Northern Ireland, and keynote speeches will be delivered by Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, as well as the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

John Hartnett, President and founder of the ITLG says the event’s theme of Innovation in Entertainment arose out of a growing convergence between the fields of technology and entertainment, citing special effects in film, the games industry, mobile applications and social media as examples of this blurring of the lines between the two disciplines.

“You look at all of this convergence happening, and you start to say, “How do we make sure that Ireland is well-positioned to take advantage of this?

“It’s a phenomenal opportunity for Ireland to showcase what it has to offer to the entertainment industry, both North and South.”

John Hartnett points to the success of Emmy-nominated HBO series Game of Thrones as a prime example of how Ireland can be an attractive target for the entertainment industry.

The event will give a number of high-potential Irish companies the opportunity to showcase their products in front of influential business leaders in the US, including confirmed attendees from companies like Apple, Google, Intel, Nokia, Dreamworks, Disney, and Twentieth Century Fox.

The ITLG President is hopeful that with such a cast of business luminaries in attendance, these companies will demonstrate the range of technological innovation to be found in Ireland.

“It’s really like bringing a young actor to Hollywood; we’re bringing young companies to Hollywood and hopefully they will make their breakthrough based on the platform that we’ve created.”

As well as demonstrations from major players in the entertainment technology sector like Logitech, Irish companies such as 3D Printing startup MCOR Technologies, and iPad app developer StreamGlider will showcase their breakthrough technologies at the event.

Other companies showcasing include web event-guide Live Matrix, and anti-piracy technology company Pirate Eye. Many of the companies showcasing are resident at the ITLG’s partner incubation centre for launching Irish startups in Silicon Valley, the Irish Innovation Centre, of which John Hartnett is also Chairman.

Together with the IIC, the ITLG is committed to fostering and cementing the links between Irish business and Silicon Valley, and having opened a New York Chapter in May of this year, the opening of the Southern California Chapter will see the 3,000-strong organisation with a foothold close to the three strongholds of American business, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and Wall Street.

“If you think of the three powerhouses of the US, it’s Hollywood for entertainment, Silicon Valley for technology, and Wall Street for finance, and we want to be positioned in all three areas. They’re effectively the biggest locations and biggest brands in the world and that’s where we want to have a very strong centre of positioning,” says the Limerick-born ITLG founder.

“What we’re doing is strengthening the links between Ireland and both Silicon Valley and Hollywood, and networking is an important aspect of building the relationships between key executives in the entertainment industry with key young companies in Ireland.”

Due to strong demand for tickets for the event, registration will close on August 31st.